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by W0RM
Summary: WLIhlBLKHDbvflksjskdbvbzd.kbflkvjnhdkvhgfslumjbthvl,hxnridun


**~0~**

I laid awake, the fight I'd had with my parents still in my mind. They expected me to give up my dream of sailing the seas to find a husband. The idea was sickening. It didn't help my parents that my room overlooked the ocean. I could hear it, the once comforting lapping of ocean waves was now exciting, I wanted to go outside and run into the water like I had done so many times before. The sun hadn't risen yet. I slid out of my bed and sat wrapped in my blankets in my bay window, I looked out at the great expanse of obsidian water before me. I closed my eyes and fell asleep at once

I woke up to the bright light of the sun shining through my window, it was warm. I liked it. The moment didn't last long though, because-

"Hannah!" My mother called from downstairs. The warmth from the sun became unbearable, and it's light blinding. I groaned.

"Hannah Elise, get down here _now_!" Her voice sounded dangerous. I didn't wait a second longer.

"Yes?" I rubbed my eyes and sighed.

"Hannah, we have guests coming over in an hour, and if you're not dressed by then there will be hell to pay."

I cringed, I knew she wasn't kidding, she usually never threatened me.

Ok, that wasn't true, but either way, this person had to be very important. I stumbled back upstairs and opened my wardrobe doors, I'd accumulated about ten or so dresses over my last few birthdays and Christmases. I chose a pale green one, it was more formal than I would've liked, but the company we were having seemed important and I didn't want my mother to make me change.

I walked downstairs just in time for the guests to knock on the door, my father went to greet them and my mother grabbed me by the arm and hurried me upstairs.

"Hannah, you can't just come downstairs and stand in the stairwell awkwardly," she whisper yelled at me.

"You have to make an entrance, or at least stand with your father and I," she stopped at the top of the stairs and pinched the bridge of her nose, she was muttering to herself. Whoever was coming over had to be _very _important, she usually didn't stress this much over company. She took a deep breath and looked at me.

"Hannah, you are to be at your best behavior today, am I clear?" she spoke very slowly, I knew that there would be some punishment if I didn't comply. I nodded.

She took my hand and led me downstairs and into the dining room, there my father was standing with a very handsome young man, maybe nineteen or twenty. He had deep brown hair that was combed back neatly, his gray eyes were hard and his skin was pale. He looked very cruel in his expensive charcoal black suit.

He carried himself in a way that told me he believed that he was above anyone in this room, like his time was more valuable than ours, and that if it was wasted, someone would be punished for it.

My mother pushed me forward.

"Oh, um, yes. H-hello, my name is Hannah," I forced a smile and a cheery tone, I stuck out my hand. Just the fact that he was important made me nervous. He looked at my hand disdainfully

"Samuel." He said, as if that was already more than what he owed me.

Despite knowing him for about three minutes, I already hated him.

~0~

The whole lunch was spent by Samuel bragging about his father's brewery, and when he wasn't talking about his father's achievements or ignoring my parents, he was looking me up and down. I felt like a prized animal being judged. To be won. I hated it, I hated him.

"Why would you bring him over here just out of the blue?" I asked as soon as Samuel was out the front door and it was closed behind him.

My mother looked offended.

"We brought him here as a surprise for you, you ungrateful little brat!"

I felt hurt, I had dealt with him being insufferable just to please her, hadn't I?

"Well, thank you for the lovely gesture, but I didn't ask to be surprised," I shot back, I was beyond angry.

"Well it was obvious to me that you weren't going to find a husband on your own, so I thought that I might help!"

So that's what this was about, she wanted me to marry that dreadful man, I felt like even more of an animal at a fair. He _was_ judging me and, worst of all, he was going to win me.

"How could you think for even a second that I'd ever be interested in a man like _him_?" she opened her mouth to speak, but I went on.

"He thinks he's so much better than everyone else because of his daddy's little brewery" I said mockingly,

"Oh, yes Mr Beckham, how marvelously wonderful it is that you're a congressman, but have you heard of Goldman Brewery? Yes? I've said it about a million times already? I hadn't even noticed! I'm too busy revelling in how absolutely _spectacular_ I am! I mean, how could you not celebrate the second I bless you with my far-more-valuable-than-yours time? How could you not throw yourself to the very ground on which I stand and thank the lord that I was born? How could you see the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Goldman, the son who will inherit the brewery, by the way, and _not_ think, 'How wonderfully awesome it is that the only one acomplishment of this man is that he is the eldest son? He is so great, I don't know how he could possibly even bear it!'"

By the end of my statement I was gasping for air, I had been speaking so fast that I had almost only used one breath, my mother was furious with me, her whole face was pink, but to be fair, so was mine. I'd been waiting to rant about this to someone since we sat down at the table, I was so relieved to say something about how absolutely awful this man was.

"Your training for housewifery begins tomorrow, now get out of my sight, you-you ungrateful little swine!" my mother yelled at me, her voice was shaking as well as her whole body. all my father did was look at me coldly and follow after my mother, who had stormed upstairs.

I didn't even notice the tears until I couldn't stop them from rolling down my face, I hated crying, I hated it even more when I was crying because I was angry, it made me feel weak. I quickly wiped the tears from my face with shaking hands. I went upstairs, there was a book on my bed, I don't know when it had been put there but I knew it was from my mother. It was titled "_The Art of Housewifery_", that sent me off the edge, I angrily gathered an old blanket, and the book. I changed into a swimsuit.

I quickly walked out to the beach wrapped in the blanket and sat down in the damp, warm sand. I could hear the waves breaking against the shore, I didn't want to, but I felt better already, I could taste the salt on the air.

I felt better until suddenly I didn't, I felt worse as the gravity of the situation hit me. I started to cry again, I cried because I was angry. I was angry because my mother wanted nothing to do with me, she wanted me out of the house and she wanted me to embarrass somebody else for a change.

I was crying because I was angry, but then I was crying because I was sad, I was sad that I'd been such a terrible bother that my mother wanted me out of the house as soon as possible, she wanted me to bother someone else.

Wasn't she supposed to love me? After all I was her only child, maybe she hadn't wanted me in the first place, maybe I was a mistake, an accident. Maybe I was her biggest regret.

I sobbed, I sobbed hard and I sobbed loud and I sobbed grossly. My ugly wails rang throughout the beach, until I was interrupted by a chant-

Hannah. Hannah. Hannah.

Hannah. Hannah. Hannah.

Hannah. Hannah. Hannah.

I heard my name so many times it lost its meaning entirely, it was only a chant whispered by the salty spray blown to me by the wind. I stood up, the calls got louder.

Hannah, Hannah, Hannah.

"W-who's there?" I croaked and turned around, I knew it was no one. This beach was private.

I looked around, hoping to find someone, I shivered despite the sun being warm on my shoulders. I blinked and I saw myself on the bow of a ship, the wind whipping through my clothes and hair, the salty water stinging my face, finding its way past my teeth onto my tongue. I let it. I couldn't keep the smile from my face, my heart was racing. This is what I'd wanted since as long as I could remember, I was so engulfed in this blinding contentedness that I was barely aware that I was stepping closer and closer to the water.

Hannah, Hannah, Hannah.

It was quicker now, almost too fast to understand, it was getting louder too.

Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!

I could see them now, the ones calling me, their black eyes and razor teeth, their sharp claws and silvery green tails. I wasn't afraid of them, I knew their teeth would never meet my flesh and their claws never slash it.

They were climbing to me, going as far as the water would let them, reaching for me, calling for me.

Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!

I kneeled down and reached out to them, their smooth wet hands meeting my dry ones. They ran their hands up to my shoulders, but they didn't pull me down, they knew I couldn't come down into the heart of their home, but they knew what I wanted, they knew I wanted to be with them. They knew I'd come to see them until my legs were too weak to walk on.

"Hannah?"

I never thought that my own name would make me feel so much hatred. They all fled back into the ocean, it was so quick that the only thing I had left of them was their wet handprints on my body.

"Hannah? Is that you?" it was my friend Cyrus, a mousy brown haired, green eyed, freckled boy, and I had never hated a man like I hated him then.

"_What_ do you want?" my tone was cold, colder than I would've liked it, his usually happy demeanor dropped, it felt bad.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, what is it?" I was still angry, but I couldn't stay mad at Cyrus for long. He could be annoying at times, but he was a good companion when I needed him.

"Oh, um, nothing much, I just saw you."

I got a little more annoyed because there was no reason to scare them away. I stood up and grabbed my blanket out of the sand, I shook it out. We sat down and talked until sundown.

**~9~**

When I woke up it was just barely dawn, the sky pink and pale blue, I looked out into the sea, it had turned to liquid obsidian overnight. It filled me with longing, I wanted to be out there, I wanted to wake up to an endless expanse of rose gold, I wanted to go to sleep to the sound of the ocean trying so desperately to get inside the ship, to tear us apart. I saw "_The Art of Housewifery_" on my desk and remembered that I was to start my training in a few hours.

I was suddenly very angry, my blood becoming hot, I paced around my room.

It wasn't fair, why couldn't I have the one thing I wanted? Why was the only thing I wanted in life unavailable to _me_?

Before I knew it, I was out the door. There was nothing and no one that could stop me from getting to the beach. I opened and closed the front door roughly. I was so angry I could barely even see straight, I didn't even have to think of where I was going. I knew the way.

Then it started again.

Hannah.

Hannah.

Hannah.

I couldn't even feel myself begin to run. The chanting got faster

Hannah. Hannah. Hannah.

They were calling me, and I was desperate to get to them.

Hannah, Hannah, Hannah.

I was almost there, I could see the beach.

Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!

The chant was roaring in my ears.

Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!- I hit the water.

It was cold, and it surprised me, I had no idea what I was doing here, the sun was up now, the ocean golden, it was beautiful.

I barely felt the first handprint before I was on the deck of a ship, looking into the sunrise. The air was brisk, but I didn't mind. I shivered and licked my lips, they were salty like the wind. I felt at peace as I watched the sun rise over the deck of the ship until-

"Hannah? Is that you? Hannah! Get up here now!"

I sighed, I had completely forgotten about my life outside of my fantasy.

For the next few months, that was how it went, I'd wake up and go outside into the ocean and to the creatures until I had to study housewifery and when it was over I'd come out until I couldn't keep my eyes open. As I spent more time with them they got more comfortable with me. They'd let me see their faces and swim with them. If ever there was a moment where I wasn't completely at peace they'd try everything they could to make me feel better. Most of the time I'd go to them upset and leave them happy, they were everything I wanted and I was happy because I had them and could have them. They were my top priority at all times, my best friends.

Some nights we would tell stories and sing songs, the night filled with our laughter, other times we'd cry and mourn together, the night filled with our sadness.

Some nights were too sweet to spoil with words, so we would watch the stars, the night filled with our comfortable silence.

It went on for months like this, I thought nothing could upset me.

But one night something did.

"Hannah,"

It was the first time I'd heard my name as one word in a log time, it surprised me.

"Yes?"

"Come downstairs."

I did, and what met my eyes was someone I ever thought I'd see again.

~9~

"Hello Samuel," I said coldly.

"It's nice to see you again, Hannah," he returned, his voice like ice.

A shiver went down my spine. I ignored it and hoped that Samuel hadn't noticed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, determined one up him

My mother answered that question.

"He's here to spend time with his future wife," she said, I was speechless. She had to be kidding, there was no way she was letting _him_ into our family, he was so spoiled and it showed, he acted like a pouty child who would throw a fit if he didn't get what he wanted. Then it hit me: What if what he wanted was me? What if my parents didn't actually have to convince him to marry me?

I wondered how long he'd had his eyes on me. Did he even have his eyes on me? I didn't know anymore.

"We'll be leaving for a while, Hannah, get to know Samuel a little more." my mother told me.

I didn't move, I was afraid of what would happen. Samuel's cloudy gray eyes went from my mother to me.

He looked me in the eyes, my mother closed the door.

We were alone.

**~8~**

Samuel walked towards me slowly, he looked me up and down. I felt like every inch of me was being scrutinized, like he was thinking of ways to change me to fit his aesthetic. I hated it.

"Hannah," he said, I was snapped out of my fearful state of mind, only to be placed in a new one, but I knew I couldn't lose my edge, I straightened up.

"Samuel." I responded, I had nothing to say but I wanted to seem like I did.

Samuel rolled his eyes at me and sighed.

"Hannah, I'm going to be frank with you. I know you don't like me,"

I was surprised he knew, I wondered if my mother told him.

"But I couldn't care less if you wanted my head served to you on a silver platter, I've had my eyes on you for some time, and I am going to marry you. I don't care if you cry yourself to sleep every night, as long as it's next to me in my bed in my house, am I clear?"

I was shocked, I couldn't believe that he would say that to me, my hate for him grew with every word out of his mouth.

"Hannah," he said when I didn't answer him, I thought his question was rhetorical.

"Am I clear?" he said it very slowly, he wanted a yes and he would get one, one way or the other.

I gathered all my courage to challenge him. I was afraid, but fear can be conquered.

"Why?" I asked him.

He looked confused.

"'Why' what?"

"Why do you want someone who doesn't love you?" I said it despite my better judgement.

He laughed. Samuel laughed at me, he laughed at me for what seemed like a long time.

"My god, you're like a child," he told me, he laughed some more.

"Why are you laughing?" My voice betrayed me, I did sound like a child, I hated it.

"Honestly, Hannah, I thought you were smarter than this. Would you like me to explain it to you?"

I didn't answer.

He didn't care.

"I'm one of the most successful men in the city,"

I found that hard to believe, he hadn't even inherited the only thing that would make himself successful yet.

"Another one of the most successful men in the city is your father, and yes, he's not the most successful man, but he's the only one with a daughter as good as you." He looked at me when he said it, like it was a complement. I looked at the floor, I think he took that as the wrong kind of embarrassment, because he went on about how great I was.

"It's true, I've seen all those other girls, they have half the grace and twice the arrogance, they think they're so much better than everyone else because of their parents' status,"

That reminded me of someone.

"But you, Hannah. You're not like them. You carry yourself with elegance and modesty. The other girls could never stand a chance against you, any man worth his salt would choose you over those tramps." he finished. It was my turn to laugh at him.

"Honestly, Samuel, you call me a child then pull this? You think you're complimenting me by putting down other girls? What did you expect me to say? 'Oh, Samuel, thank you for choosing me over all of the others! I just know that they were throwing themselves at your feet, begging you to marry them, thank you!'" I pretended to swoon, the idea was so ridiculous to me, how could he believe that I would appreciate that? I looked at Samuel, his face was red and he was looking at the floor. I felt a pang of guilt, then I remembered who I was feeling it for.

"Well I'm sorry you're so hard to impress," his tone was dangerous, it reminded me that, while he had the mentality of a child, he had the power of a man. He must've seen that I looked scared, because he tugged down his suit sleeves and straightened his tie.

"-But that's ok, I like a challenge."

~8~

After our whole conversation, Samuel took me out to walk around outside, he'd asked me where I liked to spend my time, but I absolutely was not going to show him to my room and I would rather anything to showing him to my beach.


End file.
